Alexandria day trip from Cairo: Customize four sites

Choose your own Alexandria: four ancient sites in one day from Cairo

A private day trip from Cairo to Alexandria lets you pick four sites from a curated list (Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar, Fort of Qaitbay, the National Museum, Roman Amphitheater, or Royal Jewelry Museum) plus a visit to Saint Mark Cathedral or Abu al-Abbas Mosque and lunch with sea views. Your guide picks you up at 7am from anywhere in Cairo or Giza, speaks English, Spanish, French, German or another language, and returns you to your starting point after the full day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Roman Amphitheatre1h · entry included
2. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa1h · entry included
3. Alexandria National Museum1h · entry included
4. Citadel of Qaitbay1h · entry included

Private day trip to Alexandria

• Pick up from Cairo or Giza
• Visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina
• Visit Roman Amphitheater
• Visit Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
• Visit Pompey's Pillar
• Visit Saint Mark Cathedral or Mosque of Abu al-Abbas
• Lunch with fish by Mediterranean Sea
• Visit one chosen site (National Museum, Royal Jewelry Museum, or Fort of Qaitbay)
• Return to drop off location

The experience

The pickup starts at 7am from your Cairo or Giza hotel, and the drive to Alexandria takes you north along the Nile Delta. Once you arrive, you'll move through the city on your own schedule, stopping at whichever four sites you chose before the tour began. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened in 2002, sits as a modern reincarnation of the ancient library that once anchored classical learning. The complex now holds museums and hosts international performances. The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hold Egyptian and Roman tomb inscriptions carved into chambers discovered by accident in 1900 when a donkey fell through the earth. Pompey's Pillar stands as the largest free-standing Roman column ever raised outside Rome or Constantinople, a single monolith that dominates the skyline. The Roman Amphitheater at Kom el Dekka is the only one of its kind in Egypt, built on a hill of rubble left behind when the Mahmoudeyya Canal was dug in the 19th century.

Between your four chosen sites, you'll also visit Saint Mark Cathedral or Abu al-Abbas Mosque: whichever your guide takes you to is a surprise. Lunch happens at a restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean, and the meal is fish. If you have dietary needs, you can request a vegetarian option when you book. Your guide, a private Egyptologist, stays with you the whole time and leaves space for photographs at each stop. The day runs about twelve hours from pickup to drop-off, so you're back in Cairo by evening.

Entry fees to your four chosen sites are included, as is the air-conditioned vehicle and all transport within Alexandria. The guide speaks the language you booked (English, Spanish, French, German, or another option), so there's no translation lag. Drinks during lunch depend on which option you selected at checkout.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Cairo or Giza.
• private air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• private Egyptologist guide in your chosen language.
• entry fees to the four sites you select.
• lunch with fish at a Mediterranean-view restaurant.
• a visit to Saint Mark Cathedral or Abu al-Abbas Mosque.
• time for photographs at each stop.

Options for this experience

2 options

English Guide06:00, 07:00, 07:30 and 08:00Entry fees to four sites, seafood lunch, and pickup is included

If French/Spanish/German guide06:00, 07:00, 07:30 and 08:00Entry fees for four sites and seafood lunch, with a French, Spanish or German guide, and pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:00, 07:00, 07:30 and 08:00

AgesAdult (31 to 50 years) · Senior (51 and older) · Youth (12 to 30 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Pharaoh Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to build your own day instead of following a set route. The four-site choice means you're not paying for sites that don't interest you, and the 7am pickup from your hotel removes the need to arrange your own transport to Alexandria.

Traveler reviews

4.63★★★★★★★★★★

79 verified traveler reviews

5 ★64

4 ★7

3 ★2

2 ★6

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 30 years); Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and why is it worth seeing?

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern library complex opened in 2002 that deliberately recreates the role of the ancient Library of Alexandria, one of the greatest centers of learning in the classical world. It now houses museums and serves as a major cultural venue for Egypt, hosting international performances and exhibitions.

Can I really choose which four sites I want to visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

You choose four sites from a list of seven: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar, Fort of Qaitbay, National Museum of Alexandria, Roman Amphitheater, and Royal Jewelry Museum. Tell your guide which ones you want to see when the tour starts, and the day is built around your picks.

What are the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa?

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are underground carved tombs and burial chambers that hold artifacts from Egyptian and Roman times, preserved in excellent condition. They were discovered accidentally in 1900 and are now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

How early does the pickup happen, and where does it start?

Your guide picks you up at 7am from any hotel or location in Cairo or Giza. The drive to Alexandria takes you north, and you're returned to your starting point at the end of the day after about twelve hours total.

Is lunch included, and can I request vegetarian food?

Lunch is included and takes place at a restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The meal is fish. If you need a vegetarian option, let the operator know when you book and they'll arrange it for you.